Police: Workers Fought Shooter For Gun Before Massacre

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As friends and family remembered the business owner gunned down last Thursday, Minneapolis police were putting together a detailed timeline of what happened.

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan received a detailed update of last Thursday’s tragic shooting from his investigators on Monday. Police say the gunman — 36-year-old Andrew Engeldinger — was fired Thursday before killing his victims and then himself.

The timeline states that at the end of the work day on Thursday, Engeldinger was asked to come to a meeting in the office of John Souter. Prior to heading into Souter’s office, Engeldinger left the building, went to his car and returned to meet with Souter and Rami Cooks.

Police say Engeldinger was informed that his employment was terminated and he was given his final paycheck. At that point, police say Engeldinger pulled out a gun and a struggle ensued between the men over the gun.

Souter and Cooks were shot inside the office. Police say Engeldinger then reloaded and left the office. At that point, Reuven Rahamim, the owner of Accent, had stepped out of his office, which is next to Souter’s. Engeldinger shot Rahamim, according to the timeline.

With the gun in his hand, Engeldinger then walked east in the building away from the executive offices and through the double doors, into the space for the sale’s staff cubicles. Police say he then shot Jacob Beneke in the display area.

Engeldinger then walked into the loading dock area where police say he shot Ron Edberg. He then turned and shot UPS driver Keith Basinski, who was standing in his truck at the edge of the loading dock.

Engeldinger then walked into the production area where he encountered two employees. He fired shots at them, grazing one and hitting the other, Eric Rivers, according to police.

He then turned around and walked back the way he came toward the loading dock and unwitnessed, he walked down the stairs into the basement where he took his own life. Police say his body was located there by officers. Next to him was a Glock 9 mm.

Dolan said there were three main areas where the shooting took place inside Accent Signage Systems.

“It was pretty clear that the people in those areas didn’t have much idea of what was going on until things came right in front of them,” he said.

Dolan said with this detailed description of the order of events in the shooting this could conclude their investigation.

“Out of respect for the families and the victims’ families, I don’t know that we’ll do much more,” he said.

Dolan released a statement saying, in part, “Out of respect for their grief and desires for peace, we do not desire to hold any more media events to discuss this investigation.”

Dolan said historically, this is the worst shooting we’ve ever had in Minnesota.

“It’s very bewildering and you don’t really have any answers when something like this happens. You can’t really point to things and say, ‘We should’ve done this, we should’ve done that,’ to try and prevent something like this,” Dolan said. “All of us are questioning what we could’ve done differently.”

Friends and family of Accent’s owner, Rahamim, said goodbye on Sunday, remembering him for his generosity and compassion.

Four other people were killed during the rampage — 50-year-old UPS driver Basinski, 34-year-old Beneke, 58-year-old Edberg and 62-year-old Cooks.